Meet the ModDog: Reese

“I’ve had Reese since she was two months old,” says Community Specialist Manager Crystal. “We adopted her from an Amish breeder in Ohio. They had a few Pom puppies for sale, and most of them were jumping at our feet when we visited, but my husband picked out Reese because she was a tiny, meek ball of fur sitting in the corner.”

It’s difficult to imagine the rambunctious pup pictured above as tiny or meek, but one thing remains constant – her impressive coat of fur. The lovable ModDog is known for her lustrous locks, infectious energy, and playful attitude. According to Crystal, Reese gets excited over just about anything, including cereal, saltine crackers, and the Pittsburgh ModCloth office!

“At home, when I say the word ‘work,’ Reese barks and spins in circles,” said Crystal. How cute is that?

7 Responses to Meet the ModDog: Reese

Yes, Reese is a cute dog, but I have to speak my mind. This is an issue that honestly makes me physically ill.
Buying a dog from a breeder is NOT adopting. Adopting is done at a shelter, with an animal that needs a second chance at life.
Basically, for every animal that is purchased from a breeder or a pet store, one animal at a shelter loses its life… ;o(

I agree, and would also note that the Amish communities in PA and OH have a particularly poor track record for animal welfare; in doing research about PA’s proposed puppy mill laws, I uncovered some truly horrific abuses in these communities that are too terrible to mention here, often based on a culture that viewed animals as tools or means to an end.

Of course, not ever breeder, or even every Amish breeder, is engaged in abuse. But I agree that the term ‘adoption’ is here misused, and breed-specific rescues further erode the justification for using a breeder in most cases.

That said, I really appreciate ModCloth’s many cute dogs and love reading about them in general. A cute pup always brightens my day, and I couldn’t imagine life without my dog.

I see nothing wrong with adopting a dog from a breeder. Some people have specific needs in a dog, and the shelters do not always have a dog that fits the bill. Moreover, some “breeders,” such as the one we adopted from, are really just people who own a single dog that they breed once or twice so that others may enjoy a dog with particular features. In our case, we required a dog that was 100% shed free and hypoallergenic for health reasons (asthma.) Our little puppy girl came from a lady who owned the mom and dad as pets who lived in her home. They bred only twice. I support shelters, and would be happy to take a dog from a shelter if I could, and in the future, that might be what we do, too!

Hi everyone, thank you for your open responses. I really appreciate your hearts for pups! When I used the term ‘adopted,’ I simply meant it as ‘adopting’ Reese into our family.

Teresa, you’re right. There are some breeders that are concerning, but my husband and I researched Reese’s breeder and talked to other pet owners in the area to be sure these breeders weren’t engaged in abuse.

However, I must say that I agree with you all about shelter adoption! Reese was my first dog ever, and four years ago as a young college student, I really wasn’t aware of all of the adoption options available. Now I do, and like Oprah says, ‘when you know better, you do better.’

I am glad to hear you got her from a loving breeder! Knowledge really is power–so many people would never get puppies from the places they do if they knew what went on behind the scenes, so hopefully more people do their homework (and patronize rescue groups)!